Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said he expressed hope during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York that Serbia and Russia would sign a new gas agreement by the end of September.
Vučić said the meeting with Lavrov, held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, was “open and substantive,” with energy security amid the broader global energy crisis among the main topics.
“I expressed my hope that in the coming days we will sign an agreement on the gas arrangement,” Vučić said in a post on Instagram.
The Serbian president said the two also discussed bilateral relations, strengthening economic cooperation and global geopolitical developments, as well as the role of the United Nations in the current international environment.
Vučić also reiterated what he described as Serbia’s principled position of supporting peace, stability and respect for international law as the means of addressing global challenges.
The talks come as Serbia faces uncertainty over the future of its gas supplies from Russia. A current gas-supply agreement is approaching expiration, while Belgrade has also been dealing with issues surrounding the future of Russian-owned energy company NIS. Vučić previously said the gas agreement was among the energy issues he expected to discuss with Lavrov during his visit to New York.
Energy cooperation with Russia remains an important issue for Serbia as Belgrade continues to pursue EU membership while maintaining close economic and political ties with Moscow.
The meeting took place during Vučić’s participation in the UN General Assembly, where he has held a series of meetings with international officials and leaders. During his stay in New York, he also met EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with discussions including Serbia’s European path, Kosovo and regional issues.
